Candy Coloured Pills
by Follow-ur-Shadow
Summary: Jeff discovers Annie's new boyfriend has an addiction... to adderall.
1. Chapter 1

**Candy Coloured Pills**

**Category**: Angst/Drama

**Pairing**: Annie/other, Annie/Jeff

**Summary**: Jeff discovers Annie's new boyfriend has an addiction... to adderall.

**Warnings**: mentions of drug addiction

**Disclaimer**: own nuda, zip! :)

**Authors Notes**: Had fun trying to incorporate humour with drama in the later chapters, hoping it worked ok ;) Also this is set somewhere around late season four-ish.

* * *

Jeff swaggered down the corridor completely unfazed by his tardiness, attention glued to the screen of his phone... until something in his peripheral urged him to stop.

He'd come to know the feeling as his 'seventh sense', the one that kicked in whilst he was texting to alert him to danger. It was something undoubtedly unique to younger generations and could even be their next stage in evolution. He wondered if he could coin that? Maybe go one better and sell it to the science department?

Nah _way_ too much effort... he decided, glancing up and coming to a dramatic standstill as his eyes landed on the activity outside the library. Annie was engaged in a tentative kiss with her 'new friend' and judging by her adamant deceleration yesterday -that nothing was going on- it was probably their first.

Something tightened in his chest.

What if this was where it started? One kiss then they would grow disgustingly fond of each other; holding hands, going on dates, becoming best friends... why the hell didn't they just get engaged already?

The thought soured in his mind reverberating loudly and mocking him, '_did you really think she'd wait forever_' and his new personal favourite, _'that's right you had your chance and you blew it_'.

He could see his alter ego from the dark timeline leering beside the couple, grinning and laughing evilly-

Wait, _what_?

He shook his head clearing the image.

Now he really was just being ridiculous. She was allowed to see other people, in fact he was glad. No more worrying about her misinterpreting a glance or platonic touch. All that free time could go towards something far more productive... like trying to beat his top score in Jewel.

Yep, he was totally fine with her having a boyfriend.

So long as he wasn't a jerk... or a home economics student, or a footballer... or in drama, poetry or pottery class... or-

Crap.

Community college students had a lot of potentially unredeemable qualities and he inwardly groaned knowing he had an obligation to make sure this guy wasn't a crazy psychopath or worse, heaven forbid some sort of hipster.

He was going to have to get his hands dirty but that was ok, once he made certain this guy was legit then they could date until the cows came home. Hell they could get married on the farm for all he cared.

They parted suddenly and his attention diverted back to his phone, thumbing through the contacts as he kick-started his swagger.

He was after one in particular -Jordy 'Joardster' Patterson- a nerd he'd met during the chicken mafia fiasco. He'd claimed to have a wealth of gossip to trade for tendons and he'd looked the sort too. Abed had refused him on the grounds that he was a snitch with no regard for personal hygiene but if you could get passed the smell there was definite potential for value.

Right now he intended to utilise that value to its fullest.

Nearing the door to the library he heard the others making 'awwww' and 'that's so cute' references which he quickly pounced on as he announced himself, "you guys see that video of the basset hound and the rabbit too? I gotta admit, till all that blood the rabbit was winning in the cute stakes."

"You know that's a violation of-"

"Actually _Jeff-_" Shirley cut off Britta's protest before it could escalate and smiled sweetly, "we were talking about Annie and her new boyfriend."

"Would that be 'there's-nothing-going-on-Rory' by any chance?" He dropped his books loudly on the table, willing himself not to look across at Annie as he took his seat. He didn't need to see her glassy expression and flushed features, her pink lips daring him to object.

He wasn't going to give her the satisfaction.

"I'm sure he's a great guy and you'll both be very happy together..." he stated almost convincingly, "providing you're in the two percent of couples who _actually_ stay together once college finishes and the real world doesn't tear you apart limb from limb."

Ok, yes he was a bastard... he just couldn't help himself.

Britta glared at him from across the table while Abed quickly interjected with the facts. "It actually averages at around three point six percent and couples who have children make up fifty-eight percent of those relationships that fail." He straightened his notebook, glancing up at Annie, "you should use protection to increase your chances."

She made a high-pitched noise that caught in her throat and to her surprise it was Britta that jumped to her defence.

"Don't listen to them, Jeff is just being an ass." She kicked him forcefully under the table ignoring his protest as she smiled reassuringly at Annie, "if you like Rory then there's no reason it won't last."

Of course she was lying through her teeth but one too many trips to the girls bathroom had taught her that when it came to Annie and dating advice the only way to ensure it didn't end in tears was by agreeing with everything that was said.

No matter how ridiculous or lacking in principals it was.

"Thank you Britta." Annie smiled, feeling a little more at ease as she opened her study book.

She really liked Rory and she was done putting her life on hold waiting for Jeff. Even if he was almost acting like he was jealous it was time to move on and find something real to make her happy, something that wasn't a blown up candy coloured crush on an older man.

Rory was exactly what she needed.

And she was determined to squash that tiny little voice that said otherwise.


	2. Chapter 2

Jeff flinched at the glaring sun, trying to control the waves of nausea as he discretely climbed out of his car. Even with sun glasses on the light pierced his brain and he ducked his head straining to read the time on his watch.

If he hurried he might just make the last ten minutes of his first class.

His stomach churned violently at the thought.

Nope, not a chance in hell.

Instead he diverted to the cafeteria where he proceeded to order the largest cup of coffee they had in stock. It wasn't going to cure his hangover but it might just make him feel marginally human again, if he was lucky.

He found a table lowering himself with an audible thud.

The worst part, the absolute _worst_ part... was he hadn't even enjoyed himself last night. The club had been loud, the people drunk and obnoxious, one women had even had the gall to accuse him of being arrogant. Ok, so if he thought back maybe he had been trying a little too hard... but the fiery red-head he'd taken home hadn't complained.

What was her name? Hannah, Holly...

Crap, he hoped she wasn't still in his apartment.

Sure she was sexy as hell but as for stringing together a conversation, well she made Troy look like a literary genius.

If anything last night had proved his suspicions, that he needed a women with intelligence and drive. He wanted a challenge not someone who took every word out of his mouth as gospel just because he was incredibly good looking.

He needed someone more like-

_No_.

He protested the image of a certain brunette that flittered through his mind.

Not an option. She was too young, too-

He struggled to think of another reason blaming the pounding in his head rather than the obvious answer; that he really didn't have a solid excuse any more.

He'd been banking most of his reserves on their age difference but nearing mid twenties sounded a lot better in his mind than dating a teenager. She was growing into a mature young women and he couldn't do a damn thing to stop it and the scariest part, he didn't want to.

In fact the only sound reason he had to dissuade the inappropriate thoughts, was that if anything she was too _good_ for him.

Well, that and she had a boyfriend.

His stomach twisted uncomfortably at the mental image of them together.

It was the very same picture that had driven him to a night of boozing and clubbing, a decision that he was now seriously regretting. He'd thought it might help to take his mind off the ridiculous notion that he was jealous.

And it had worked... right up until he'd opened his eyes and found the very naked women laying beside him. It had been a lot easier to pretend she was someone else under the influence of copious amounts of alcohol. Unfortunately daylight wasn't so forgiving.

The cafeteria started to fill with students and he groaned feeling the tension between his brows increase. He needed to time this perfectly and mentally started counting down... five, four, three, two... and cue coughing fit.

As predicted the group filled his peripheral vision and he slunk back in his chair. "Sorry guys," he croaked, rolling his neck as they circled around him, "feeling a bit rough, think I might be coming down with something."

"Oh no..." Annie frowned, flattening her hand over his forehead, "you should be at home in bed."

An image of the naked red head flashed into his head and he nearly choked on his coffee, "I'll ah... I'll be fine really-" he stuttered, managing to compose himself, "...don't want to let the team down, we need to study."

"Oh please-" Britta rolled her eyes not believing the story for a second, "is anyone actually buying this?"

"I don't know what you're talking about?" He feigned, breaking off into another coughing fit which clearly had no effect on her but it did manage to convince Shirley.

"What you need is some hot chicken soup!" She took on a stern motherly tone, "then you need to get yourself home to bed."

"That's really not necessary-" he tried to protest but she was already moving towards the canteen line and he gave in. What the hell, it's not like he was in any condition to learn anything today anyway.

"Aww you poor thing..." Annie's hand lingered on his shoulder and he turned to her, smiling gently as he caught her gaze.

It would have been on of those special moments between them, the kind that made his heart flutter -in a completely masculine way of course- had her attention not quickly flashed to the other side of the room.

He followed her line of sight and felt his stomach drop. Great, Rory was here. Ruggedly handsome, I-could-be-a-brooding-writer-with-these-eyes Rory. What was he Irish or something?

She rushed to meet him and all of a sudden he felt like old news. Too bad if he had pneumonia or the measles or god knows what other ailment... what if he was contagious, spreading the plague?

He blew out a frustrated breath and the reaction earned a bemused look from Britta. He was sure she was going to say something but fortunately Pierce stole the limelight, moving round and slapping him hard on the back. "Man up Jeff, this isn't a Brady Bunch special."

"He's right-" Abed jumped in, "if it was you would have chicken pox and we wouldn't notice until the third act."

The group eyed him suspiciously and Jeff rolled his eyes, "I don't have chicken pox, I had them when I was seven."

They seemed adequately relieved by the information and he sighed as they all took their seats. Everyone except Annie who was pulling Rory towards the table...

No, he thought making a silent prayer... no, no, no, no-

"Guys, you don't mind if Rory joins us do you?" Her eyes grew brighter urging them them to agree. She knew they were a little hesitant about accepting strangers and in an effort to sway them she pulled her lips into a pout, securing an immediate victory. Quirking her mouth into a smile she sat down excitedly pulling Rory with her.

Troy raised his hand bumping fists with the new addition, "hey man, how's it going?"

"Hey, Troy right?" Rory grinned, sliding his arm casually around Annie, "I've seen you play football... you're totally awesome."

Jeff watched the exchange biting back a groan at the obvious play. So he had found an easy way in, getting the rest of the group on side wasn't going to be as easy. They were the most mismatched diverse study group in Greendale... maybe even in all of the colleges _ever_. It wasn't like someone could just walk in, sit down and fit right in.

Which is _exactly_ what Rory did.

In a total of fifteen minutes.

He'd even bonded with Pierce, having somehow heard of the ambiguous 'level six' that was part of the crazy old man's Buddhism cult. That was the final straw. That and the soup that Shirley had brought back for him. It was like lard in his mouth and he simply couldn't take it any more.

"Ok, that's enough!"

All seven sets of eyes fell on him and he sighed.

Great.

Now he was hungover _and_ insane.

"I mean-" he forced another fake cough, "that's enough of... whatever food this is. Seriously, I think there's cabbage in here... which is wrong on _so_ many levels. "

The group stared at him, remaining silent until Rory -of course it had to be Rory- chimed in. "Hey, I'm with you Jeff. They make take our lives with this drudgery stuff they call food-" he brought his fist down, sliding the plate out of the way, "but they will never take our-"

Oh for the love of...

"Frrrreeeeedoooom!" Troy and Abed simultaneously stood to attention, picking up their plates letting out an in sync roar.

Jeff knew what was coming next... it was going to be Braveheart in 3D and he grabbed a tray trying to take cover as the entire cafeteria erupted in another food fight.

Screw this.

He didn't care if there was a naked women still asleep in his bed.

He was going home.


	3. Chapter 3

Britta readjusted the load in her arms as she knocked on Jeff's door... for the _fifth_ time.

She knew he was in -his Lexus was parked out front- but so far he'd refused to answer causing frustration to creep into her good intentions.

Honestly, she was trying to do a nice thing.

The others may have bought into his 'couch I'm sick' routine but she had spotted the lie immediately, probably because she had suffered through enough hangovers in her time to notice the glaring signs. In most instances she was unsympathetic towards the self inflicted pain but today something had jerked her conscience into reacting. He wasn't his usual sarcastic, condescending, arrogant self.

Well, maybe he had still been sarcastic... but every word out of his mouth had seemed more forced than usual. He seemed almost defeated and the notion was so out of character she couldn't help but analyse it. Jeff Winger never regretted anything and if he did he certainly didn't show it. It was a misstep that had been becoming more obviously lately, timely coinciding with the arrival of Annie's new boyfriend and she didn't need to be studying psychology to make the connection.

A year ago the realisation would have been a complete blow to her ego. She didn't like to admit it but in the past she had been prone to bouts of jealously where the two of them were concerned however a lot had changed in the last twelve months. She had come to see her relationship with Jeff for what it was.

They could have great sex, had no problem calling each other on their bullshit, enjoyed each others company -most of the time- in fact, in theory they should have been perfect for one and other but what worked on paper didn't necessarily translate into real life. In the end she'd decided it was their similarities that were their downfall. They were both too stubborn, too argumentative and neither liked to back down.

When she and Troy had started going out they had both grown together and that was normal in a relationship but she and Jeff almost always regressed. They turned into hormonal teenagers and as fun as that could be it wasn't a healthy long term option.

Annie on the other hand was good for him.

She could see how the younger women softened him, drew out his benevolent side and in turn he treated her with respect which was something he didn't give to a lot of people. No matter how unmatched they looked on paper they had a strong connection and actually _did_ work.

The only problem was getting Jeff to admit it... and of course Rory. The last thing she wanted to do was make things difficult for Annie which was why she was here, focusing on being a good friend and not interfering until she had all the evidence.

Something Jeff was making increasingly difficult. "If you don't open this door I'm breaking it down and-" she stopped as it swung back to reveal Jeff tearing a hand through his hair.

"_What_," he glared in annoyance, "seriously Britta someone had better be dying!"

"I brought Chinese." She threw him a pointed look waiting for him to cave and it took all of thirty seconds for him to move aside. There wasn't a hungover person on the planet who could resist take away and she had knowing played on the weakness to get herself inside.

"You're obviously feeling much better then-" she quipped moving to the couch and dumping the food on his coffee table.

His only response was a grunt as he diverted to the fridge pulling out two beers.

She didn't question the wisdom of drinking as he walked back over and took hold of one, twisting the cap off and slouching down on the couch. He followed suit bringing the bottle to his lips and perching beside her. After a moment of silence he reached into on of the bags pulling out a container of noodles. "You know I'm not actually sick right?"

"Please..." she shook her head raising an eyebrow, "you smell like you washed your hair with tequila. Everyone in our study group needs to get a life."

"No argument there." He sat his beer down, shoving a forkful of chicken into his mouth. He was actually starving. After lunch had turned into a full on war zone he'd quickly bailed the scene and hadn't given food a second thought, it was no wonder he felt like a jack-hammer was ploughing through his brain.

"So..." she started casually, pulling a vegetarian dumpling from the bag, "are we going to talk about it?"

He groaned.

This was it, the catch.

He knew he shouldn't bite but she had brought him food and in a moment of weakness -against his better judgement- he encouraged her, "talk about _what_ exactly?"

She didn't answer right away and he picked up his beer taking a long steady draw. He could tell from her hesitation he wasn't going to like whatever was coming next.

He was right.

"The fact you're in love with Annie..."

He spat his drink out across the table, coughing for real this time as he tried to compose himself. "I am _not-" _he rasped, ignoring the burn in his chest, "I repeat so not in love with Annie."

"Right, of course not." Ok, so maybe he wasn't but she figured it was better to start big and scale back. That way she had a better chance of getting the truth out of him. "But you do have feelings for her?"

"I have feelings about everyone-" he sat his bottle on the table, rubbing the spatter of beer on his singlet in annoyance. The stain wasn't going anywhere and he abandoned the task switching back to his noodle box, "right now I'm having some pretty strong feelings about you."

She ignored the comment, twisting another dumpling out from the bag. Obviously he wasn't going to be forthcoming but he hadn't kicked her out yet so she decided to press on,"and it doesn't bother you that she has a boyfriend?"

"No _Britta_-" he stressed her name, swallowing a piece of chicken and clenching his jaw, "it doesn't bother me that she has a boyfriend."

"Really?" She quizzed, taking another bite.

"_Yes_ really."

She smiled smugly, wiping her hands on a napkin. "You know repeating every sentence is classic tell-tale sign of lying."

"I'm not repeating-" he stopped, the realisation hitting him along with a new wave of annoyance.

Damnit.

He muttered chucking his noodle box aside and taking a long swig of beer. She was like a dog with a bone and for the first time _ever_ he was apprehensive about continuing the argument. It was none of her business, something he _really_ didn't want to get into and rather than retaliate he let an awkward silence descend between them.

She watched him shift uncomfortably, quick to analyse the odd behaviour.

It was extremely rare to see him retreat without a snipe or comeback and there was only one reason she could think of that explained the uncharacteristic show of defeat. "You're scared..."

"That's ridiculous." The response flew out of his mouth and he tensed knowing it was just going to make her more adamant but he refused to let her think she was right. "Do you know how many relationships I've been in? If I'd wanted it to happen it would have, trust me."

She was almost relieved to see the fight back in his eyes but there was still something beneath the egotism that she struggled to place. Just because he wasn't scared of the typical things like uncertainty or rejection didn't meant there weren't other things to be afraid of.

"Wait, are you worried she's going to get hurt?" It was a guess but it became glaringly obvious when he didn't protest and her mouth dropped open in shock,"Jeff that's so selfless and thoughtful _and_... and holy crap you really do care about her."

He drained the last of his beer placing the empty bottle on the table with a sigh. He couldn't win. She was always on his case about staying away from vulnerable young women and now he was actually trying to do the right thing he didn't even get an ounce of credit for it. "Britta, I'm leaving it alone... what you should be saying is 'nice work Jeff, gee it's good to see you're not acting like an ass'."

She watched him push up to get another drink and felt a tiny waver of guilt. He did have a point. The group was always condemning him for his cavalier approach towards women but that didn't mean he should shun himself from meaningful relationships entirely. The goal should have been to work towards becoming a better person in one, not avoiding them completely.

"Fine I think it's very commendable-" she relented as he returned, but was determined to get her point across,"...commendable and _stupid_. Wouldn't it be better to just be honest and then not be an ass about it."

"Hi, I'm Jeff-" he threw out his hand in jest, "clearly we haven't met."

She rolled her eyes as he sat back down."Wow, you know what... self loathing really doesn't suit you."

"Can we please stop talking about this, I-"

His phone buzzed on the table and he reached out, losing his train of thought as he opened the message. It was from the Joarsdter. If he wanted information to bring Rory down he needed to be outside the chess club room tomorrow at lunchtime.

He swallowed thickly, tossing the phone aside.

In light of their current conversation acting on the tip would make him seem less like a concerned friend and more like a jealous crazy person. Which he wasn't. He really did have Annie's best interests at heart... which meant there was only one thing he could do.

Make sure Britta never found out about it.

"Abed says there's a good lifetime move on." He covered, reaching for the remote.

She watched him flick on the tv about to admonish him for changing the subject when she suddenly recognised the titles flashing on screen, "hey, I love this one... got any more beer?"

He nodded, breathing out a sigh of relief as she dashed into the kitchen.

With a bit of luck he would pass out mid-movie and she would be too absorbed to notice.


	4. Chapter 4

Jeff ducked behind a row of lockers, fanning himself against the wall until the coast was clear. It was lunchtime and Rory had just made a b-line for chess club which meant the mission was officially a go.

Sliding his aviators down he crept stealthily along to the closed door, peering through the window. It was what he expected, a room adorned with motivational posters screaming geeks have rights. Yeah, the right to stay celibate until they're forty.

His gaze drifted to Rory and the only other occupant of the room, a kid he'd never seen before decked out in vest and a bow-tie.

Not really a surprise that they'd never crossed paths.

He pulled out his phone using the zoom on his phone's camera to get a better look at what they were exchanging. Whatever it was the going rate was a fifty and he took a few snaps, ducking down when they turned their attention towards the door.

Shit.

He waited for the sound of footsteps to indicate if he'd been made and breathed out a sigh of relief when their muffled conversation resumed. Inching himself back up he discreetly peered over the edge of the window again. This time there was no mistaking to two orange pill containers that exchanged hands and he jumped away from the door having seen everything he needed to.

The slimy, good for nothing jerk was taking adderall.

Annie was going to be crushed.

They'd only been going out for a few weeks but she was already head over heels and smitten. It was like Vaughn all over again but while the free-loving hippie was a lot of things he did genuinely care about her. So far all this guy had done was schmooze her with his 'I'm rouge and Irish' eyes, something that worked on the rest of the group but not him.

Now he was glad he'd trusted his instinct.

Turning, he bumped into a group of students and muttered an apology as he awkwardly stepped around them.

What happened to the good old days when damning information meant an affair with a teacher or cheating on exams?

He breathed out slowly, trying to piece the conversation together in his head as he started searching for her. He wasn't looking forward to breaking the news but this wasn't something he could sit on. She needed to know and as much as he'd like to pass the buck and void himself of responsibility the courteous, most diplomatic way was to tell her himself.

He checked the library first to no avail and quickly diverted towards her locker, feeling a sudden wave nervousness hit as he spotted her.

It was now or never.

He walked up to her slowly, leaning on the neighbouring locker with a tight smile, "hey, have you got a sec?"

She continued riffling through the colour coordinated folders barely giving him a second glance. "Not really, you know how angry professor Wilson gets when students are late to his class."

It wasn't the sort of conversation he wanted to have out in the open and he swallowed, hoping a more serious tone would sway her, "actually... it's sort of important."

She closed her locker door, turning to him with a curious pout. Not _once_ had she ever known him to be tactful about a situation and his demeanour almost scared her. "Jeff, what's going on?"

He wanted to be tactful, diplomatic... but the second he met her doe eyed expression the words were anything but as they tumbled out, "you're boyfriends hooked on adderall."

Annie's gaze widened as she glanced around, worried someone might have heard the accusation. Luckily no one seemed to be listening and she grabbed hold of his arm pulling him roughly towards a supply closet down the hall. He didn't protest when she shoved him in slamming the door closed behind them.

"Who told you that?"

"It doesn't matter, the point is-" he started to deflect then frowned, wondering why she hadn't out-right denied the possibility. He'd been expecting her to jump down his throat but he couldn't find a trace of disbelief in her expression and the realisation made him tense.

"Wait-" he took a step towards her, "you _know_?"

She swallowed thickly at his judging expression, folding her arms stubbornly across her chest, "of course I know."

She'd picked up on the signs long before they'd started dating -it was why she introduced herself- and Rory had been open to admitting he had a problem. At first she'd just wanted to offer her support but when feelings had started to develop between them she hadn't seen any harm in taking it slowly.

Clearly that was a foreign concept to the man standing opposite her but then again he wasn't exactly known for his sensitive caring nature.

"This may come as a shock to you-" she kept a firm stance, holding his gaze, "but in a normal functioning relationship people share personal details."

He was flabbergasted by the admittance but immediately defensive under her attack, "exactly how 'normal' and 'functioning' is it if one person is hooked on drugs. Seriously... what the hell are you thinking, why would you even go there?"

"Because I know what it's like!" She stuck her lips out in protest, trying to to get him to understand. When she had started her downward spiral she'd had no friends, no family to support her and she knew first hand just how lonely it was on the bottom. "I can help him, I know I can."

He didn't know whether to laugh, cry or be inspired by her naivety. Maybe he was just too old and jaded but seeing Rory buying two bottles of pills didn't look like an addict trying to give up, if anything it looked like he was stockpiling.

"Trust me on this-" he forced what he hoped was a softer tone, "he has no intention of getting clean... he's using you Annie."

Her hands instinctively flew to her hips, insulted and offended by the accusation."Well, I guess you would know the signs-" she threw back, daring him to challenge her. It wasn't as if he was perfect, he was continually manipulating her and the group just to get what he wanted... how did that make him any better than Rory?

"What's that supposed to mean?" He grew defensive again, feeling a rush of anger well up. He had never intentionally led her on, in fact after they'd kissed he'd done everything in his power to dissuade the attraction. She had no right to throw it back in his face, especially now.

"Come on Jeff..." she goaded, inching forward, "haven't we been here before? You don't want me but you don't want me to be with anyone else... sound familiar?"

He stiffened, suddenly uncomfortable under her scrutinising gaze.

Ok fine, so maybe he _was _jealous... but admitting to it was only going to complicate the situation. He needed to get the conversation back on track, to the real reason he was concerned which had less to do with jealousy and everything to do with her safety. "Annie listen to me, I don't want to see you get hurt... that's all this is about."

Her voice scratched painfully in her throat as she gazed up at him, "then you should stopped being my friend three years ago."

"Annie..." he breathed out, feeling a sick sense of guilt knot in his stomach. Britta was right. He'd stayed away because he didn't want to see her get hurt but keeping his distance had inevitably had the same effect. He was a jerk, a stupid, selfish, arrogant jerk... and he reached out brushing her cheek, trying to ease the pain in her eyes.

Despite every effort she could feel her anger melting away and she hated herself for being so weak around him. What was she doing? She liked Rory and Jeff had made it perfectly clear time and time again nothing was going to happen between them. He was only doing this now to prove he had control and when he started to lean forward she pulled away angrily.

"You know what... this is about your ego- " she stepped back, grasping at the door handle, "you think it's me, but you're the one who needs to grow up Jeff!"

The door slammed shut and he tore a hand through his hair letting out a frustrated groan.

Perfect.

Couldn't have handled the situation better if he'd tried.

_Fuck_.

He needed to come up with a plan B, fast.


	5. Chapter 5

Annie said goodbye to Rory and bounced into the library, feeling her energy plummet as the groups eye's all turned on her. She was only a few minutes late, no reason to-

It suddenly dawned on her.

They didn't look upset or annoyed but oddly sympathetic and she turned her anger towards the one person who was deliberately avoiding her gaze. "Jeff, I can't believe you told them!"

He winced feeling the weight of her accusation twist awkwardly in his stomach. Technically he hadn't told them anything... although after a twenty minute game of charades they had all conveniently learnt that Rory was a good-for-nothing-drugged-up-boyfriend who was headed down a whirlwind path of destruction.

For once the group was unanimous in an opinion.

"I didn't say anything..." he defended, at ease with the lie until Pierce chimed in.

"I still don't get what this part is meant to be?" He held up the caricature of a homeless man completely oblivious to the round of glares he was receiving, "I mean is it a fish tank? Why does a drug addict need a fish tank?"

"It's a puppy Pierce!" Troy smiled at Annie, keeping eye contact as he continued to speak through clenched teeth, "the 'very nice' homeless man is eating a_puppy_."

"Huh..." he turned the paper on its side, "wait... no, I still don't see it."

"You guys!" Annie folded her arms, directing her anger back towards Jeff, "and _you__,_ how could you?" She couldn't believe he had gone behind her back and to make matters worse he had actually been poking fun at the situation, turning it into some kind of stupid game. To say she was angry was an understatement.

Jeff caught her glare in his peripheral vision and let out a sigh. He'd been trying to do the right thing but the way she was looking at him made him feel like he'd just cheated a bunch of girl guides out of all their cookies. "Look, you didn't exactly give me a choice... we all have-" he glanced around, receiving the silent go ahead to continue, "...valid concerns which you should hear out."

"So what, this is an intervention now?" Annie pulled the straps on her backpack, narrowing her eyes as she took in the group. It was clear that's exactly what their unified alliance was and she felt tears well up behind her gaze, "it's not like I'm taking the drugs myself... I'm supporting a friend."

Britta reached her hand out, squeezing Annie's arm with a smile, "we're just worried about you sweetie, that's all." The reassurance seemed to work and Britta let her fingers drop, feeling a little more in control of the situation until Shirley stared speaking.

"And you know what the good lord says, temptation is the devil looking through the keyhole."

The room erupted in a chorus of 'why would you say that' and it took all of Annie's self control not to burst into tears. So that's what they all thought, that she was going to start taking adderall again? She hadn't left her parents and gone through a year of rehab to wind up back there _or_ to end up with friends who didn't trust her. "That's really what you all think, that I'm going to start using again?"

"Annie come on, no one's saying that-" Troy defended, shuddering at the thought of her going off the rails like last time. He knew this was different but he still felt guilty for what happened in the past and he was determined to make up for it.

"I'm saying that."

The group simultaneously glared at Pierce who raised his hands in mock surrender. "_What_... come on, we've all been there... you think one tiny line what can it hurt? Next minute you're in the bathroom of a Bowie concert with some security guard, doing god only knows what to get backstage passes-" he finished the story feeling a flush of embarrassment, "which by the way, is only gay if you're Jeff."

"Pierce, so not the time!"

Annie jumped at Jeff's protest but it didn't diminish her anger, if anything it only strengthened it. "At least he's being honest. You guys might not say it but I can tell you're all thinking it, which is fine... cause if you don't trust me then I don't need friends like you."

Jeff felt a sharp stab of regret tighten in his chest at her words. The last thing he wanted to do was alienate her and when she stormed towards the door he finally dropped his phone, pushing up from his chair in order to catch her.

"Annie wait..."

"Don't-" she jerked away from him, eyes brimming with tears as she scolded him, "I quit... you can find someone else to join your study group."

The finality in her tone sent the room hurtling into silence and it wasn't until the door slammed shut that Jeff broke it by clapping his hands together.

"Great work guys, nicely done."

The group erupted blaming each other, well mainly Pierce, for the failed intervention but the truth -that he was reluctant to share- was that _he_ had screwed this up. He had gotten everyone on his side by feeding them worst case scenarios and making it look like Annie was going to be on the street begging for money to buy drugs with.

Admittedly it was a slight overreaction but he couldn't help himself. Fear had pushed him to the extreme lengths which wouldn't have been such a bad thing, except he didn't know if it was fear for her safety driving him or a more selfish fear of loosing her.

Either way he needed to get a handle on the situation and instead of silencing the group he reached for his phone slipping wordlessly from the room. He needed to think and if there was one thing he'd learned in four years, that _never_ happened in the library.

xx

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**AN: Thanking you all for the reviews! They make me stay up late and write more ;)**


	6. Chapter 6

Annie picked up her phone letting out a small sigh at the blank screen.

Sure she could turn it on but that would sort of defeat the purpose. She was trying to prove something, that she didn't need to rely on the group to make her way in the world. She was a confident, smart young women and she was doing the right thing by avoiding them... but that didn't change the fact she still missed them, even Pierce.

She turned the screen over with another sigh, trying to focus on her notes.

It had been two weeks since she'd officially 'quit' the study group and she was pulling a late night cram session with Rory... or at least she would be, if he ever returned from the bathroom. They'd decided staying at school would help keep them focused but so far all it had done was highlight the differences between the dingy classroom and the well lit, comfortable library that she was so accustomed to.

She knew the group were in there now, studying late as well. Troy had mentioned it in a brief moment of surrender whilst they both waited for the bathroom this morning. In fact he'd even gone so far as to say that he wouldn't try and stop her if she wanted to keep seeing Rory which had given her hope that the others might come round... but she wasn't ready to extend an olive branch just yet.

The door opened behind her and she turned, smiling as Rory stepped into the room.

"Sorry couldn't find my textbook-" he apologised, holding up the offending object in his hand, "how far did you get, not too far I hope? No spoilers ok..."

"Not far." She admitted, rolling her neck to try and work out the kinks. The light in here was starting to give her a headache and she leaned in when she felt his hands start to massage her shoulders.

"The only thing that's going to do is put me to sleep," she murmured, relaxing until his jumped away from her.

"Can't have that, got work to do!" He said excitedly, moving to pull his desk closer to hers.

She tilted her head curiously, watching the behaviour with a tense frown. He could have just been eager to study -it was one of the reasons she liked him- but the way he straightened every pen on his desk sent alarm bells ringing in her head. "Rory have you... I mean did you-" she lowered her voice to a whisper, "_take_ something?"

He dragged his chair over, sitting down next to her with a guilty expression.

He was trying, he really was... maybe not at first but now definitely. All he needed to do was get rid of the supply he had and once it was gone he could go cold turkey and kick the habit for good. "I know, I know, I know... I shouldn't have done it but I swear I only took them today to get rid of them."

She felt a knot twist in her stomach. How many times had she made that promise to herself? More times than she could count...

He saw her hesitation and shifted closer determined to convince her he was fine. "Annie, please you have to believe me-" he took her hand, trying to make her understand, "I haven't had any all week but knowing I had them in my locker was driving me crazy."

"So why didn't you just throw them out?" She asked, trying to shake free of his grasp and feeling a slight wave of panic when he didn't let go.

"Because I knew we had an exam tomorrow..." he tried to reason, holding her gaze firmly, "it was stupid, please don't be angry with me."

"I'm not." She swallowed roughly, watching his pupils dilate in the dim light. If he was telling the truth and he really had taken the pills to get rid of them then there was no telling how many he'd taken during the course of the day. "Rory, it's ok-" she said gently, "I'm really not mad... but I think we should probably go home."

In some respects she was lucky. Whenever she'd had an episode it was always of a neurotic nature but she'd heard stories in rehab of people suffering full blown psychotic attacks and she suddenly felt a wave of nervousness creep under her skin. "Rory...?"

"I knew it! I knew you'd be like this!" He let her go, slamming his fist down on the table, "we can't leave, we need to study!"

She jumped, flinching as her phone landed on the floor with an audible crack. Even if it had survived the fall she would still need to turn it on to make a call and right now she didn't want to antagonise the situation. Instead she reached for her pen trying to keep her hand from shaking as she straightened her notes, "ok you're right, we should study... so let's study."

He smiled warmly mimicking her movements and she breathed out slowly as he settled into place.

She wasn't in any danger, he was fine... just a little amped about the exam tomorrow. She had everything under control. The thought didn't comfort her as much as it should have and she wondered if being stubborn right now was really such a good idea?

Yes, she forced herself to make the decision.

If he was tripping on pills then she couldn't exactly leave him alone, what if he hurt himself or needed to go to hospital? Besides Troy had said he would come find her before he left and she was certain she could handle things until then.

It was all under complete control.


	7. Chapter 7

Jeff stood under the entrance to Greendale, leaning heavily against a concrete support as he watched Britta, Pierce and Shirley all madly dash through the torrential downpour of rain.

By the time they reached their respective vehicles they were soaked and his feet remained firmly planted in place unwilling to make the treacherous journey. He wasn't like them. He wore one hundred percent pure blend cotton, dry clean _only_ and there was no way his shirt would have made the trip unscathed.

So he stood stubbornly, watching as their headlights disappeared into the dark and hoping for a break in the relentless weather.

The minutes ticked over and he sighed glancing back towards the door. He knew Troy and Abed were still inside and the reason why swayed him to stay put, motivating him nearly as much as his love of ridiculously expensive clothing.

They were looking for Annie.

It was what he referred to as plan 'C', aka working the home angle. If anyone could get her back into the study group it was Troy and Abed... the only problem was he suspected they were spending more time in the dreamatorium running simulations than tackling the problem in real life. Which left him with a new plan and consequently a new chronological ordering system.

He called it plan 2.0 and it consisted of apologising.

Version 1.0 was to blind-side her with a Winger spectacular about the importance of trust and friendship. Under normal circumstances it would have been his preferred way to go but something shamefully close to fear kept him from engaging in the trademark tactic. He could manipulate the coldest toughest bastards in the business and was immune to all their tricks but Annie wielded something he hadn't faced in many opponents.

She was a genuinely good person.

They were in this mess because she was hell bent on helping someone else, seeing the good where the rest of them couldn't and even though he could turn the facts in his favour... doing it would make him feel like a down right asshole. There was only one way to come out of this with his sense of morality intact and that was by sucking it up, accepting her decision and apologising.

If he didn't then he was no better than... well, _Pierce_.

A shudder ran through him at the comparative which was fortunately disrupted by the sound of metal banging behind him. It echoed above the heavy rain and he turned to see Troy and Abed bustling through the door, tensing as Troy doubled over breathing heavily.

"We couldn't... she wasn't-" he rasped, turning his hand rapidly in the air, " we found... _and_-"

"We couldn't find Annie." Abed, who didn't seem at all phased by their run took over, "we went to the room where she and Rory were studying. They weren't there. But we did find this..."

He held up a fragmented piece of orange plastic, frowning at his own conclusion. The label was still partially visible spelling 'a-d-d-e-r' and he didn't need to be a forensic annalist to make the connection.

"There... were... desks-" Troy wheezed, still bracing over his knees as he glared at Abed, "what the... hell man?"

Abed tilted his head slightly, momentarily forgetting the drama to expand on the quirk in his physiology. "I don't know... one time at school I blew up two hundred and fifty balloons in a row. The gym teacher wanted me to stay behind after class to give me a special award but my dad showed up and took me home. He was really angry. I figured it was because I'd told someone about my secret power... the next day Mr Langley was fired. I guess he knew too much."

"Dude," Troy finally caught his breath, straightening and extending his fist, "that is... _awesome!_"

Abed returned the gesture, slapping his chest to cement the code between them. "Thanks."

"No-" Jeff protested, feeling a rise of anger at the absurdity, "Abed you probably have a _serious_ condition which you should really get checked out and your gym teacher _definitely_ doing twenty to life in prison right now... so can we _please_ get back to Annie. You said she was gone?"

Abed filtered the information, agreeing to focus on the more pressing problem at hand. "A couple of desks were pushed over. We tried looking for her but realised how unlikely it would be for our characters to be central to this particular storyline. That's why we knew you had to still be here somewhere."

"Ok-" Jeff tried not to panic as the weight of the situation fell on his shoulders, "so you're telling me Annie's in there, alone... with a guy who's fully loaded on adderall?"

Abed tilted his head again reluctant to draw conclusions without solid facts, "we didn't actually see him take the pills but this arc does suggest a dramatic climax of that nature could occur."

"Oh for the love of-" Jeff pushed through the pair, abandoning the sentence as a jolt of anger spurred him back into the building. To hell with apologising. He knew, just _knew_ something like this was going to happen... if she got hurt it was going to be her own damn fault!

He stopped, his anger quickly morphing into a wave of fear.

If she got hurt it wasn't going to matter whose fault it was... he would still wear the guilt, shoulder the regret and no amount of pure blend cotton shirts would help ease the burden. The knowledge was simply unacceptable. He couldn't loose two things he cared deeply about, he _needed_ to find her.

If not for emotions pounding through his chest then at least for the sake of his wardrobe.


	8. Chapter 8

"Guys, come on-" Jeff turned to Troy and Abed with an exasperated sigh, "you've seen every movie, _ever_... you must have some idea where they could've gone?"

Abed glanced down the dimly lit corridor sifting through his endless knowledge of plot twists and likely scenarios. Jeff was right. Using the power of deduction he should easily be able to formulate Annie and Rory's whereabouts.

"Almost all of the classrooms are locked so they would have gone somewhere with public access..." he raised a finger as he started churning through the possibilities, "gymnasium... no, computer lab... no, basement... this isn't a horror movie... which only leaves the cafeteria or-"

He glanced at Troy.

"Think Vertigo."

It took half a second for Troy to make the connection. "The roof, they're on the rooftop!"

For once Jeff didn't question the logic or randomness he just took off in a sprint towards the access door. He knew where it was because he'd busted Britta escaping up there numerous times for a cigarette and it didn't take much to navigate his way through the dark halls.

Screeching to a stop outside the 'no entry' sign he grabbed the handle and swung the door back to reveal a narrow stairwell. A burst of cold air flooded from the passage and he shivered as he charged up the stairs with Troy and Abed hot on his tail.

The corrugated iron amplified the sound of rain and by the time they reached the top door it was so loud he could barely hear the wheeze in his chest. He fought a sudden wave of dizziness and reached for the handle feeling a wave of frustration.

It was locked.

"_Annie_!" He tugged the knob back and forth trying to make as much noise as possible, then he ceased the action pressing his ear to the cool metal.

Troy and Abed mimicked the movement beneath him which turned out to be a pointless exercise. Her scream cut right through the solid barrier bringing back memories of the time he'd busted in to rescue her from Chang's keytar demonstration. Once again the vocals were unmistakable and he used the same move, kicking the door repeatedly until the lock gave way.

Thank god Greendale didn't have the funding to adhere to proper safety measures.

He ripped the door back hesitating as the downpour caught the edge of his sleeve. No time. He could buy a new shirt... better yet _Annie_ could buy him a new shirt, just as soon as he got her out of this mess.

Stepping into the brunt of the storm he used his forearm as a shield, just able to make out two bodies entangled by the edge of the roof. As he moved closer he could tell she was struggling but not enough to break free from Rory's hold, no doubt in case she sent them both toppling over the side.

"I told you! I told you it wasn't safe, that they'd find us!" Rory's eyes darted wildly back and forth as he watched the three men approach, "they're all in on it! The CIA, the government... you lied to me!"

Jeff tensed at the nonsensical spiel that cut through the wind. Clearly he was delusional which meant talking him down was going to be hard. Not impossible but still he had to be careful. "Rory it's me, Jeff Winger..."

"They sent you!" He shouted, dragging Annie closer to the edge of the roof.

"Rory... listen to me-" Jeff raised his arm slowly, silently willing them away from the treacherous drop. If they went over he knew he wouldn't be able to reach Annie in time and the realisation twisted sickly in his stomach. "You know me right? You've heard about me?"

He waited for Rory to nod swallowing his fear in order to continue, "in that case you know I don't follow orders given by anyone. No one's corrupted me because they can't, I'm too cool... Annie on the other hand, she's weak."

A protesting squeak escaped from her mouth but Jeff kept his gaze squarely on Rory, "she betrayed you and they _are_ coming... but it wasn't her fault, she's been brainwashed."

"Ah, Jeff-" Troy spoke through the side of his mouth trying to look inconspicuous, "what the hell are you doing?"

"He's playing into the delusion," Abed whispered back from the other side, "the only way to gain his trust is to enter into the reality and make it believable. We can do that. Cool, cool, cool." He stepped forward taking on his inspector Spacetime persona, "we have a device that can cure her but we don't have much time."

"You can save her?" Rory glanced towards Jeff who nodded his head.

"Let her go and I'll get her to..." he glanced towards Abed, "the, _device_?"

Abed gave a quick nod of approval, tugging his jacket firmly. It wasn't quite as effective as his long beige one would have been but he kept up the charade regardless. "In the meantime we'll take you some place safe, somewhere they won't find you."

Jeff held his breath, finally allowing himself to glance at Annie. She was keeping it together but there was no denying the fear in her expression and he tried to relay assurance back through a softening gaze.

His fault, her fault it didn't matter now... all he cared about was making sure she was safe.

Annie relaxed slightly, forcing a small smile as she focused on Jeff. Realistically there was nothing he could do if Rory decided to plunge them over the edge but she still drew comfort from his presence and when Rory finally loosened his grip it took all her willpower not to bolt into his arms. Instead she remained frozen in place as Rory detached himself, too scared to move even as he stepped towards Troy and Abed. The pair quickly assumed the role of bodyguards, each taking a side and she stood numbly as they ushered him back to the door.

"_Annie_..." Jeff tried coaxing her towards him, doing his best not to look down as he eased an arm out. His instincts were screaming to get her away from the edge but he didn't want to move in case he startled her. "It's ok-" he breathed out slowly, "just take my hand."

Her attention shifted from the door back to Jeff and she felt a wave of adrenaline propel her forward into his arms. He reacted instantly, catching her and pulling them both away from the ledge with a relieved sigh.

"I should have listened to you-" she buried her head into his shoulder, clinging on tightly as roar of thunder rumbled overhead. She had no idea how he'd found her or how she'd let herself get into this situation in the first place? Everything was a jumbled blur and hot tears quickly mixed with the rain staining her cheeks. All she wanted to do was go home but she couldn't bring herself to pull away, much less face the reality of the situation.

Jeff felt her body tremble against his chest the reaction reminding him they couldn't stay like this. She was freezing, definitely in shock... and he ignored the typical hero cliché as he scooped her up into his arms.

He needed to find Troy and Abed, make sure they weren't indulging Rory _too_ much and call the police, possibly even an ambulance...

And he would.

Just as soon as he got Annie somewhere safe and out of harms way.

x

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**AN: Again, thanks for all the lovely reviews! :D Just a few more chapters to go :) xx**


	9. Chapter 9

Annie sighed quietly against Jeff's shoulder causing a responsive flutter in his chest. It was a relief, the first indication her shock was wearing off though he was hesitant to put her down until they reached a safe distance.

He was deliberately heading away from the library -where he figured Troy and Abed would go- and was leading them towards the lost property room. There were a bunch of blankets still left in there from the pillow fort monstrosity and maybe even some clothes she could change into. Ideally he would've liked to get her straight home but he couldn't abandon his two friends, no matter much they were probably enjoying the role playing game.

He rounded the last corner feeling a little more relaxed as they reached the door. Not surprising the lock wasn't hard to shimmy open and he eased Annie down, offering a sympathetic smile as he flicked on the light switch.

She recognised the look as one she was going to regret and gripped his arm, following wordlessly as he trudged towards a pile of linen.

Finding the biggest, thickest woollen blanket in the lot, he pulled it out giving it a hefty shake. When the dust settled he opened it up again and drew it tightly around her tiny frame. "Annie..." he breathed out slowly, squeezing her shoulder, "I need to go find Troy and Abed so I want you to wait here ok?"

"I-"

Her voice squeaked in an unnaturally high tone as she bunched the fabric between her fists. She didn't want to be alone... but at the same time didn't want Troy and Abed to be left alone with Rory. "Go, I'll be ok."

He smiled softly and it caused an irrational sense of foreboding to leap into her stomach, "but what if, I mean... what if this is the part where you leave and he comes back?"

Jeff could see the fear in her eyes and pounced on his first thought, "he won't, Abed said this wasn't a horror movie." The ridiculous statement reverberated in his mind and he shook his head in annoyance, "_damnit_... we really need to start expanding our circle of friends."

He hoped the sarcasm might at least draw a smile but there was no change in her expression and he stepped forward brushing her arm, "Annie I'm not going to let anything happen to you... which is why I need to make sure this situations being handled properly. I won't be long I promise."

She nodded forcing herself to be brave.

After all it was her stubbornness that had gotten them into this mess. She thought she could help Rory, pull him back from the clutches of addiction but really it was just another task she had failed at. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this-" she tore her gaze away from him, staring at her soaked shoes but his soft voice surprised her.

"I'm sorry I didn't try to help you..." he pressed gently, finding the apology was easier than he'd thought it would be. Not because he liked Rory -he _really_ didn't- but because he and the rest of the group should have offered their support. They were so quick to judge but none of them had wanted to get involved, to help someone outside of their circle and if she had gotten hurt they would have only had themselves to blame.

Well, and Rory.

In fact... _mainly_ Rory.

"Stay here, I'll be right back." He gave her shoulder another a quick squeeze and she immediately missed the warmth as he pulled away.

She could do this.

She just needed to find something to do, something to keep her thoughts occupied until he returned.

His footsteps disappeared out the door and she glanced around. There was certainly enough useless piles to sort through. Had she not been in a semi state of shock she might have even found the task a little bit exciting but as it was she settled for 'an adequate distraction', wading through to a large box. It was filled with sporting goods and she proceeded to churn through the items, pulling out pair of slacks that smelt like mothballs. It was a step up from dirty socks and she shrugged them on tying them tightly around her waist. They were huge but warm and she dug further into the box fishing out an old Greendale sweatshirt.

She was about to tug off her dress when a shadow caught her attention and her gaze immediately snapped to the door.

It was nothing.

Just a moth circling the dim light but her heart was racing from the false alarm and she instinctively took a step back into the aisle. When she'd managed to calm herself down she quickly changed and tossed the wet garment aside.

"Ok Annie, focus... you can do this, _this_ is what you're good at-" she mumbled, kneeling down to add some semblance to the randomly placed junk.

It worked, for the most part. She managed to keep herself sane long enough to alphabetise a draw of old cassette tapes and it was only when she heard the sound of footsteps coming down the hall that she started to panic again. Swallowing her fear she picked up the nearest object she could find and edged out into the open.

"Hey..." Jeff appeared at the door, his eyes drawn to the furry stuffed dog in her hand.

"Nothing-" she quickly threw it aside, ignoring the squeak as it bounced, "are you ok? Rory is he-"

"He'll be fine, we called the police and they're taking him to the hospital."

She sighed feeling a wave of relief as he stepped over the pile of water pistols and comic books separating them. She could tell he was concerned. There was rare crease of sincerity in his brow and she forced a smile trying to convince them both she was ok.

The assurance didn't quite reach her eyes and he stopped in front of her feeling something tighten in his chest. Watching her trying to be brave was even worse than being subjected to her disney eyes. At least under those he knew she was trying to be manipulative but there was nothing fake about the emotion pooling behind her gaze and he couldn't help himself. He reached out brushing his hand against the side of her cheek and wished for the first time he could shoulder someone else's pain.

She lent into the touch pressing her lips together in a small pout. They shouldn't be doing this. She was beyond exhausted, not thinking straight and he was probably just pumped with adrenaline but she didn't try and stop the inevitable movement.

Instead she breathed in the taste of him, clutching his damp shirt as he pulled her closer. She wanted to lose herself in the kiss, drown in its warmth but something stopped her and the hesitation wormed its way throughout her body. Did he really care... or was she some sort of victory prize? Jeff one, Rory zero.

Anger jolted through her and she shoved him back wincing as he collided with the shelving unit. The impact caused a box of hacky sacks to rock dangerously close to the edge and she covered a gasp as it fell, pelting him with the vibrant sand filled balls.

"Ow!... Jesus-" Jeff rubbed the top of his head, cautiously checking to make sure nothing else was going to fall on him before directing his attention back to her, "seriously, what the hell?"

She felt a tiny wave of guilt but it quickly faded as she stepped forward prodding him in the chest, "you think you can just swoop in and kiss me because it suits you, I have a boyfriend remember?"

"Yeah I do-" he didn't bother trying to hide his astonishment, "I remember how he just tried to throw you off the roof and turn you into a human pancake... but no, you're right... great guy, total keeper."

His sarcasm pierced her bubble of anger, replacing it with a wave a sadness. She was never going to trust Rory again, at least not until he kicked his addiction and even then there were no guarantees. She'd lost her boyfriend, her study group, her friends... and the worst part, the absolute _worst_ part was staring right her in the face.

She'd spent weeks convincing herself she was over him, that she could finally move on but one kiss had sparked every emotion back to life. To Jeff it was going to be another mistake, something else to bury under the rug and she felt tears sting her cheeks. She couldn't go through that humiliation again... not with everything else falling a part.

"Annie, shit... I'm sorry, please... don't cry-" he stuttered, cursing himself for being such an insensitive asshole.

He should take take it back, lie through his teeth and tell her it was going to be ok, that maybe she and Rory would find a way to work things out... but he couldn't bring himself to do it. What if he hadn't been around tonight or worse, what if he wasn't around next time?

"I... I want you."

The words fell out of his mouth before he could stop them and he took a deep breath trying to calm his racing nerves.

Fuck.

He was in too deep to back out now so he did the only thing he could do, he ploughed ahead, "you deserve better than Rory... but you also deserve better than _me_ which is why I can't tell you what to do... but if nothing else than as your _friend_ I am asking you, just be careful... because I don't want to see anything happen to you."

She stood frozen in place, his words hammering through her chest. After four years of speculation the humble acknowledgement made it impossible to doubt he was being genuine. The old Jeff would have boasted self-confidence, expected her to drop everything to be with him but she could read the faint hint of embarrassment playing under his concern. "Say it again."

She folded her arms, half expecting him to take it back and letting out a small gasp when he spoke without hesitation.

"I want you-" he challenged, fighting the part of himself that wanted to deny the honesty. Being open didn't come naturally to him but if the last few weeks had taught him anything it was that rejection wasn't always the worst case scenario.

"I... I don't know what to say?" Her heart leapt into her throat as she stared at him. The sane thing to do would be to walk away, maybe even transfer to a different school or another country_..._ but she couldn't tear herself away from his gaze as he stepped forward.

"Say yes," he breathed out, stretching his hand against her cheek.

"But that... doesn't make any sense-" she stuttered, trying to keep her composure but failing miserably. She knew she was beat. If he woke up tomorrow and decided he never wanted to see her again then she was going to be twice the fool but her heart wanted to take the risk regardless.

He tilted his head slightly. She was right, it didn't make any sense... at least not in a grammatical 'I've asked you a question, this should be your answer' kind of way but the allusion was there all the same. "Then don't say anything..." he robbed her of another chance to stall, "just kiss me."

She nodded without moving and he took it as his cue, pulling her closer and capturing her lips. This he was good at. The ground rules, the talking, the grand gestures and decelerations... not so much and if he'd thought _not_ being with her was complicated, it was going to take a miracle to get him though actually 'dating' her.

But he wanted to.

More than any other ballsy, stupid, ridiculous idea he'd ever entertained in his life.

And if Greendale had taught him anything, it was that sometimes the craziest plans were the ones that worked out the best.

x

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AN: One more chapter to go! :)


	10. Epilogue

Annie swung her locker door shut jumping as Jeff appeared from seemingly nowhere to place a chaste kiss on her cheek.

"Hey-" she smiled widely at him, blushing furiously at the public display of affection. Even though they'd been dating a few weeks they were keeping things quiet and she still got giddy when he let his guard down at school.

"Next thing you know you'll be wanting to hold my hand?" She teased, surprised when he seemed to mull over the idea and then stretched out his fingers in invitation.

She eye'd them suspiciously as she tucked her folder into her new messenger bag. It wasn't quite as practical as a backpack but it did prove useful in detracting attention. She _still_ felt bad about the little old lady at the coffee shop, the one who had assumed she was a high school student and had basically accosted Jeff in front of everybody. Oops.

Zipping up the bag, she glanced back at his hand.

"Annie, it's not going to bite." He winked at her, reaching out and clutching her fingers as they started in the direction towards the Library. She'd already missed their first study session for the day and though he knew why, he forced a note of disinterest into his voice trying not to sound over protective. "So... how was Rory?"

"He's better." She smiled softly, knowing it was difficult for him and giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

Rory had checked himself into rehab directly after the 'incident' and they had both agreed that a relationship wasn't what he needed right now. She'd continued to visit him, offering support and when she'd tentatively mentioned Jeff he'd even seemed relieved saying that it took some of the pressure off.

"You should come next time, you know... if that's not too weird." She suggested hoping it might ease his doubts if he could see how well Rory was doing.

"I think that would probably be the definition of weird but this is Greendale, stranger things _have_ happened." He made the decision, through he was in no rush to make it happen. Just because he was becoming admittedly more susceptible to her influence didn't mean he was going to start bringing home stray kittens and puppies, that was her thing... and so help him if he started singing Kumbayah in his sleep.

"Oh, here... these are from this morning-" he angled his notepad towards her, trying to appear nonchalant as she took it from his stack of books. They were meant to be notes but after less than a paragraph they had turned into a doodle of a penguin with a boom-box skateboarding to work. In his defence the drawing had started around the time the groups conversation descended from 'study talk' into which cereal was the better brand and, well... he had pretty much stopped listening after that.

"Jeff, you took notes for me?" She cooed, smiling widely as she turned the page around to admire his artwork. So they weren't the most helpful notes... he had thought of her and that in itself made the effort appreciated.

"Does this mean you guys got through chapter nine?" She asked hopefully, having already finished reading through the section. It was something she hadn't been counting on and his sudden, feigned interest in a student handing out flyers gave away the groups obvious lack of commitment.

"Hey check it out," he sidestepped, grabbing the green leaflet with his two free fingers, "it's a... karaoke night, we should _totally_ go."

"Only if you duet kiss from a rose with me..."

She smiled cheekily, nudging him in the side and he groaned at the reference, "I'm never going to live that down am I?" He tossed the flyer in the closet bin shuddering at the memory of his weekend out with the Dean. He supposed it was retributive justice for not helping her move house in the first place but surely karma had a time limit?

"We should probably..." Annie cleared her throat, raising their entwined fingers as they neared the library. It wasn't that they were hiding things from their friends but after her last disastrous relationship and Jeff's hesitancy to 'come out', keeping public displays of affection on the down-low hadn't seemed like such a bad idea.

With a regretful smile she dropped his hand and stepped into view of the door letting out a surprised gasp when he pulled her back.

Before she could question or even comprehend the move he brought his head down and kissed her soundly, winding his arm around tightly her waist and tugging her closer. A round of wolf whistles and claps erupted from the Library and she grinned widely against his mouth, "there's going to be a ring in my salad isn't there?"

He raised an indignant eyebrow, "don't push it Edison." She smirked and he kissed her again letting the sound of their friends drown out around them. Maybe he was becoming a little soft, so what? She was happy and that, for some inexplicable reason, made _him_ happy.

Troy watched the pair in the doorway, nudging his friend, "hey, _Abed?_" They couple were still kissing, completely oblivious to the fact they were on show and he shifted awkwardly in his chair, "I don't know what to do, do we keep clapping?"

Abed glanced up at the clock. Daylight savings had 'officially' ended a week ago so he knew he could trust it again. "Fade it out on three-" he slowed his hands drawing out the clap, "two... and we're out."

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**AN: Again thank you all so much for following and leaving reviews! :) xXXx**


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